The more serious upshot to this is that it puts Fax, Fev and Leigh in serious limbo.
With all due respect, there are clubs in the championship who accept their position and are quite happy to form a "partnership" with a super league - indeed will possibly benefit from it. But this is a position that has been forced upon the championship clubs - one the SL clubs decided to introduce without championship clubs getting their say! If the plans for under 20 rugby in super league come to fruition there will be even more pressure to follow this route! And there was me thinking a club gained a super league licence on THEIR ability to produce youth, not relying on championship clubs to bring them on.
Fax, Fev, Leigh and any other club with super league ambitions, will not want a partnership. They have their own ambitions and pride, as well as proud and ambitious supporters. So where does that leave us? Have the RFL even considered this? The Bradford decision proves not one championship club was considered - a 13 team SL or 14 teams with Bradford - was discussed. The door is shut.
This could well prove to be a watershed decision in the sport, and one chairmen of all championship clubs need to react to!
Do Hetherington and his mob really think fans lost from championship clubs will really embrace their nearest SL club?